Dwayne Johnson Opens up About His Battle With Depression

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently opened up about his past mental health struggles, including a battle with depression. Johnson was a guest on The Pivot podcast, where — among other things — he discussed a serious shoulder injury that he suffered. That injury ultimately ended his football career. 

“[I] didn’t want to go to school,” the WWE icon shared. “I was ready to leave. I left school. I didn’t take any midterms and I just left.” He went on to explain, “But the interesting thing, at that time, is I just didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what mental health was. I didn’t know what depression was. I just knew I didn’t want to be there. Wasn’t going to any of the team meetings. Wasn’t participating in anything.”

Over on Instagram, Johnson shared a clip of the episode and wrote in the caption: “Appreciate chopping up depression with my guys on [The Pivot]. I’ve worked hard over the years to gain the emotional tools to work thru any mental pain that may come to test me. But years ago I didn’t know what mental health struggle was. As men, we didn’t talk about it. We just kept our head down and worked thru it. Not healthy but it’s all we knew.”

Johnson added, “If you’re going thru your own version of mental wellness turning into mental hell-ness, the most important thing you can do is talk to somebody. It can’t be fixed if you keep that pain inside. Having the courage to talk to someone is your superpower. I lost two friends to suicide. Talk to someone. Despite how you may feel, you’re never alone.”

Many of Johnson’s followers have since replied to his post, with one person commenting, “Thank you for being so open and honest with everyone about depression. Takes a real person to speak about mental health especially in the Samoan culture, in America and for men. But to see your transition, it’s incredible. I am sure you have inspired others who may have had a similar experience.”

Someone else added, “So grateful to The Rock for using his enormous microphone to change a world that desperately needed it. Also, I think a lot of people owe Simone Biles a apology. Imagine the courage it took for her to stand up at the Olympics and tell the truth about her mental health. Thank you Simone and the Rock. Would love to hear from Ronaldo next.”

f you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.